Caminho Portuges - 1st Day in Porto

1st Day in Porto - Emotional Rollercoaster

First of all, Porto is a beautiful city and I will definitely come back again.

So, I arrived at my hotel in Porto and the first conversation I had was with the hotel receptionist. When he found out that I was only staying for one day in Porto to walk the Caminho, he just said, 'You want to do the Caminho? Ha, then good luck.' I found it a bit cheeky that he apparently didn't think I could do it and even made it sound like that. Well, I just thought, it's off to a good start and walked into the city.

I went straight to see where I will start, and I found the beautiful cathedral with the famous steps leading down to the river.

The waterfront is beautiful, but unfortunately, it's very difficult to find a spot for just one person, and that's when my emotional turmoil started. I asked myself why I'm putting myself through this, no one really wants to be alone, etc. But then, when I finally got my cocktail, two young guys suddenly set up a piano in front of me and started playing together. It couldn't have been more romantic and sad at the same time. Svenja alone in Porto.

However, from that point on, the evening went very, very positively. On my way back to the hotel, I passed by a small wine bar and spontaneously decided to watch the hustle and bustle of Porto for a bit longer and enjoy one last glass of wine before going to sleep. Well, that one glass turned into four glasses (two of them were on the house). The cheese and ham were incredibly delicious, and I didn't want to leave. I met the son of the bar owner, and we started chatting. A couple from Chicago and an elderly German couple joined our conversation as well. It was just nice. I think when you're traveling alone, you're more receptive to conversations and spending time with others. That evening, I went home with a very positive feeling and knew that I could do it.

Until this morning when I woke up... I feel sick, and my head is spinning - and it's definitely not because of excitement. But I have to go through with it, and I'm already running very late. Now it's getting serious, and no other words could fit better than 'I'm off then!'